Wiping the Tears of Ame
by Turambar - Turun Ambartanen
Summary: Five years after the Fourth Shinobi War, the Five Kage became Nine. Five years later, the Hirudine Empire began trade with the local daimyo lords, but the Hidden Villages were locked out of such trade and the resulting prosperity. Five years later, most of the daimyo were over thrown. Twenty-five years after that, the Hidden Villages are at war once again.
1. Prologue - End of War?

Prologue  
The End of War?

"_I would see... Minas Anor again as of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen amongst queens; not as a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves." - Faramir, The Two Towers_

Naruto had to wonder how any of the past Hokage had put up with politics. It was incredibly frustrating in the facts that it was incredibly necessary and incredibly boring. _Since when is boredom the price we pay for being the saviour of the world?_ he wondered.

He buried his hands as he looked to the other eight people round the table, three of whom were the current source of his current frustration. "And tell me again why there must be strictly five and not nine?"

"It's not the number, Hokage-sama," spoke the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi. "It's principle. What have these people done to deserve such a title and all the status and prestige that comes with it?"

"I believe you're imitating your grandfather, Tsuchikage-sama," Gaara spoke up. "Please, speak your personal thoughts."

"Those _are_ my thoughts, Kazekage-sama," Kurotsuchi replied.

A cough came over from the Kiri delegation, and Terumi Mei spoke. "I have to agree with the young Tsuchikage. On principle, no one can have such a title without earning it. I believe that is the reason you have not invited a Hoshi delegation here, correct? So, surely you must understand our reasons. Even the Hokage, saviour of the world regardless, cannot grant such a thing on a whim."

There were nods from all over the table, even from Shikamaru who was standing lazily at Naruto's right shoulder. Naruto had to restrain himself from glaring at them (and from trying to beat the crap out of a laughing Kurama inside him. "Told you, kit," it was laughing.).

Suppressing the urge to groan and bury his face in his hands, Naruto looked every one of them in the eye. Though he stopped believing in ghosts years ago, the newly-made Hokage could not help but think that Nagato was speaking to him, urging him on to make his case, to never forget his last words and sacrifice.

But Naruto did not have Nagato's mind. He had to be grateful to Ebisu for offering his teachings, but Naruto's grasp of politics had been frequently described, by teachers and peers alike, as substandard. And that was putting it nicely.

_ I need them to understand_, he thought. _There is no other way to peace. If we can't accept each other as equal villages, then we'll just end up tyrants and slaves. But how?_

"Naruto," Gaara spoke, "while I understand your sentiment, you cannot force your personal ideologies on everyone else. One must form necessary compromises in the interests of everyone, but no one can possibly please everybody while pleasing oneself."

How _Gaara_, a former jinchuuriki and outcast, could not understand was beyond Naruto's comprehension. Jinchuuriki were view a step below human, and that as pushing it. Jinchuuriki of the bijuu responsible for the misery of so many were viewed a thousand steps below that.

The same could be said for minor hidden villages like Kusa. A number of steps below the greatness that happened to be called Konoha, Kiri, Kumo, Iwa, and Suna. And for the small villages who were responsible for some of the most atrocious acts in history like Ame and Oto... a thousand times worse.

But for war to end, Naruto had to dive into that abyss and pull the others up into the light of the Five Great Nations. And that meant granting their villages equal status to those of the Great Nations. And the first step was giving their leaders the title of Kage.

He had to be crafty, though, Ebisu had drilled that into his skull. Politics demanded it.

"How did the Kage earn the title?" he asked suddenly.

A the Raikage raised an eyebrow. "You mean aside from being the current leaders of their village? It was their sheer power or their contribution to the shinobi world that granted them the title. Your own Hashirama Senju is an example enough for that. Another factor is that their villages belonged to powerful countries, and thus became powerful as a result. That is how the title of Kage originated, and why only the shinobi leaders of the Five Great Nations were given the title."

"Can country be ignored and we just focus on strength or contribution?" Naruto asked, hoping he didn't sound as hopeful as he did.

The other four Kage looked to each other in contemplative silence. Naruto hoped that it had some effect on their mindsets.

A cough came from the edge of the room where Mifune, the samurai general of the Land of Iron, sat as arbiter. "If I may, perhaps we would like to hear the opinions of these four prospective Kage before making a decision." All eyes turned towards the four who sat on either side of Naruto.

A tall, slender, and pale man spoke first. "Ku ku ku, thank you, Mifune-sama." His voice made Naruto want to just crawl out of his skin and die in a hole before he ever heard it again. "I must say that I personally find no use in the title of Kage. It, unfortunately, won't allow me to experiment as widely as I have before." Orochimaru gave a mock sigh. "But I suppose the extra prestige would be helpful politically. I really wouldn't want the local daimyo getting too bold, ku ku ku."

Naruto suppressed a shudder again. Why oh why had he let the Uchiha convince him to allow _Orochimaru_ of all people to become a Kage?

A cough came from a surprisingly young man, barely a year older than Naruto and Gaara who were both in their early twenties, who was the representative of Ame. Naruto struggled to remember his name without looking at the keycards in his pocket. When the man spoke, he spoke with such sincere pride and authority that the other had to listen. "Our leaders have contributed much to the world of shinobi. Years of war have hardened our country to what it is today. Our small nation has mastered the art of defense beyond even the Five Villages to the point that our previous leaders could detect an infiltrator the moment he steps into the rain.

"If you wish for more, Nagato-sama developed the Rinnegan and overthrew the tyrant Hanzo, who was also renowned for his shinobi prowess. Nagato-sama was one of the three original founders of Akatsuki along with Yahiko-sama and Konan-sama." He paused and looked every Kage in the eye. "If it is a question of power, only one person in this room managed to defeat him." He nodded in respect to Naruto. "And he is the only one who is speaking any form of sense."

A lost his temper at that, shooting out of his chair. "Are you insinuating that we are-"

"I am not insinuating anything, Raikage-sama." The young, slender man had turned his sharp gaze towards A, but apparently failed to intimidate him. But, comparing the two, Naruto was impressed that the prospective Amekage - whom Naruto could sense had not much in terms of chakra power - could stare down the Raikage without any other bodily reaction. Any lesser man would have shot out of his seat in fright or anger. Which probably made the Raikage a lesser man. Odd thought.

"Then just _what_ are you saying, boy?" Naruto shook his head, groaning audibly. A was a hair's breadth from rushing over and strangling the man. He had heard of Murphy's Law - not that he knew who Murphy was - but he had never thought it would go this quickly in this summit.

"Exactly what I said," said the man - Takeshi, Naruto remembered, Chusei Takeshi. "If you want to see insults where there are none, go ahead. _I_ understand that we cannot afford to hide our intentions at this summit. Do you?"

A was out of his chair in an instant. His fist was an inch from where Takeshi's face used to be and would have followed through had Naruto and Gaara not restrained him in time. Takeshi, however, had fallen on his back in shock, hand reaching for one of the two swords belted at his waist.

"Raikage-sama, please seat yourself down," said Mifune. "This is the second summit where you've lost your temper. Lose it again and you may consider yourself dismissed from the Land of Iron." A let up his glare from Takeshi's form on the floor and returned to his seat without a fuss.

"Chusei-san, I must also warn you that if you ever act so callously again, you too will be dismissed from the Land of Iron."

Takeshi stood, slowly letting go of his sword hilt. "It won't happen again," he said, though Naruto could sense a bit of a fluctuation in his chakra pattern. _Okay, so maybe a bit more easily intimidated than I thought._

"May I continue?" Takeshi asked, sitting down.

With a nod from the others, the prospective Amekage pressed on. "But I believe that it was his goal for peace that should be made worthy of notice. He fought and died for the sake of his village and of the shinobi world. He was definitely a terrorist, especially to many from Konoha, but he can never be considered ignoble. I believe that this should be the _defining_ trait for a Kage. Not strength, not country. Nobility. That is all."

Naruto had to resist the urge to give a thumbs up right then and there. It would have been so unprofessional, Ebisu would eat him alive. He settled for smiling encouragingly.

"Anyone else?" Mifune asked. No one answered. "Very well then, let the Five Kage proceed."

"Chusei Takeshi," Mei spoke up. "While that is quite an argument, and I am tempted to agree with you, practicalities must be addressed. How do you suggest we prove our own nobility as well as gauge your own?"

"Is it noble for one to fulfill the wishes of one's country?"

"They can all agree on that, Takeshi-kun," Orochimaru said. Naruto made a mental note to tell Sasuke to roast the snake alive if he suspected anything. Or... if he had _sufficient cause_ to suspect something.

"Where are you going with this?" A asked, genuinely curious now.

"I think," Gaara said, now smiling, "that what Chusei-sama is trying to say is that we were all chosen..." he paused, glancing to Orochimaru, "sorry, _mostly_ chosen to lead our village because we are noble in their eyes and seem to have their values at heart."

If Orochimaru was offended, he did not show it. Even his chakra was too still to judge by.

"Thank you!" Naruto exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. Yeah, Ebisu was going to eat him.

"So everyone here," Kurotsuchi said, "with the exception of Orochimaru," Orochimaru did his best to look offended that time; the insult was far from subtle after all, "is entitled to be a Kage by that logic."

"Exactly my point."

"You're implying that it has always been the case," Mei said.

A nod from Takeshi.

"If we can't treat each other as equals, how can we truly have peace?" Naruto asked.

There were some nods, even reluctant ones from Kurotsuchi and A. Mei was smiling warmly - though Naruto had a suspicion that it was only because of the 'naivete of young men' as she liked to put when she spoke to Naruto. Orochimaru was smiling as creepily as ever.

"So, let's welcome our fellow Kage, shall we?" Naruto said, grinning.

With that arguably successful Nine Kage summit, some would think it was the beginning of a true peace in the shinobi world. Others, however, would later on argue that it served only as a delay to humanity's inevitable descent to war. Indeed, no matter how noble one's intent, the darkness in humanity will always climb back up.

And so did the Nine Kage find out, thirty-five years later...


	2. Chapter I - Prisoner of War

Chapter 1  
Prisoner of War

Chusei Kenshin heard a series of beeps. A first he thought it was some kind of explosive and he jolted up to a sitting position, hands automatically reaching for his swords. He fell back on the bed, clutching his heavily bandaged chest, just as quickly as he had awoken. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a clock on a table beside his bed. Probably the source of the beeping earlier.

His mind then darted to his last memories before waking. He had been in a battle. For the Northeastern Pass of the Land of Rain. Ame and Konoha on on side, Iwa and Kusa on the other. _Mind's too hazy to recall if we won or lost,_ he thought. _Probably undecided by the time I was knocked out._ That conclusion made him uneasy. Control of the Pass was crucial to the War. _If we lost, Ame is a sitting duck. _He made a note to ask about that battle at the next opportunity.

He had been part of an ANBU squad sent in to take out the Iwa-Kusa captains while the rest of the Ame-Konoha force crept in and took out the enemy during the chaos. His memories of the fighting itself were still hazy, but he could remember that the battle had not gone as planned. And then the surprise third party. He distinctly remembered them wearing heavy metal plate armor. He shook his head as it began aching. _How many died?_ he wondered, briefly.

His mind then wandered to his injuries. _Broken ribs on both sides,_ he thought, sitting up and feeling his chest and sides. _Metal gauntlet and a glancing mace blow. _He remembered vividly every hit that had landed on him. _No open wounds, though, _he noted as well. Briefly, he wondered why his head felt odd.

He felt around some more, ignoring a number he had already earned from previous battles. He didn't bother looking at himself. _I _did_ get wounded. _His fingers traced a rough ridge just below his left collarbone. _Flesh wound, nicked by that straight sword. Probably was aiming for my neck._ His fingers traveled to his shoulder and went down his arm, stopping at a knotted scar just above the elbow. _Arrow, too preoccupied to dodge._ He then moved down his torso, then stopped at his thigh._ Dagger, missed the femoral artery._ He then moved his hands up again and explored his back, encountering a rather large scar._ Spear to back, inches from my spine._ That was the last blow he remembered receiving from that battle. He then paused and felt a bandage around his head that was the reason he felt his hair falling a bit off, and he frowned a bit. _I must have hit my head on a rock._

He looked around. The room was unfamiliar, painted in blues of varying tones, very unlike the hospital wings back at home. Perhaps he was with an ally? _Unlikely._ The room had no windows, but he got an uneasy feeling that he was nowhere near friends.

For that matter, there didn't seem to be _anyone_ nearby- assuming his sensory abilities had not been negated somehow. Also, there was no medical equipment in sight. So he probably was not in a hospital wing. Otherwise he would be able to sense all the doctors and patients around him. Unless he was quarantined. That seemed probable. But then, he did not feel to be in critical condition, and the worst he felt came from his ribs. There was no sign of detectable sickness either.

Still, there should have been someone nearby. But if there was...

He clapped his hands together in the seal of the ram. Nothing. He could feel no chakra molding in him; it was barely flowing enough for him to even know it was still there. And nothing came to his sixth sense. _Not good._

Kenshin clapped his hands again. _Tiger. __**Suiton: Teppodama!**_ Nothing. No chakra was kneaded in his belly, no water forced its way up his esophagus. Nothing. _Damn it._

He slowly got off the bed and made his way to the door in front of his bed. Behind it was a privy that was more or less clean.

"How decent of my hosts," he muttered. _Whoever they are, it seems they've blocked my chakra somehow._

Closing the privy door, he turned the other door to his right. It was likely to be the exit. As he turned that door's knob, electricity suddenly coursed down his spine, sending him to the floor. He screamed, uncharacteristic of him, but with no moldable chakra to block the pain receptors, he could only rely on sheer discipline, and even that crumbled beneath the pain and the surprise.

As Kenshin lay there, paralyzed and twitching, the door opened, slamming into his face. Despite the pain, he maintained enough awareness to see that three people had entered the room. One of them lifted him up by the ends of his waist-length hair so that his feet, toes extended and reaching, were an inch off the floor. The man was tall, easily seven feet in stature, and heavyset, looking to be three hundred pounds of bone and muscle, almost three times Kenshin's weight. He was dressed in the steel, odd for a warrior who was obviously not a samurai. The man was also bald, and his eyes were cold. And calculating. For all the man's brutish features, Kenshin knew in an instant that this man was no idiot.

Kenshin could make out the other two from his peripheral vision. One was an old man, ancient by any standard, with a foot long silver beard and in a tuxedo. Odd. And there was a woman behind him. Black-haired like Kenshin was, but was definitely a foreigner like the other two.

They were speaking in a language Kenshin could not identify, though it was obvious from their gazes that they were talking about him.

The old man barked at the big man and Kenshin was dropped. The young shinobi seized his chance immediately. He swept his foot across the floor and hit hard against the backs of the big man's knees, sending the big man falling on his back. He then pushed himself up and ran out the door. Neither the old man nor the woman moved in time to stop him.

_No chakra and no weapons. At least those guys can't run very well, apparently._

The hallway was long, and straight, with no turns or intersections with anything else. Up ahead, Kenshin could see light; that was surely the exit. He redoubled his pace, ignoring the throbbing in his chest.

A sudden flash, and he was falling to the floor screaming, electricity flowing through his body once again. _They must know Raiton jutsu, _he deduced. Looking behind him, he could see that he had just passed through a wall of lightning. The old man was walking towards him, a smirk on his face.

When the old man spoke, it was heavily accented and Kenshin barely understood what he was trying to say. "Don't bother. I've blocked your powers, and you have no hope to contend with my own. You are our prisoner, young shinobi." The wall of lightning disappeared, and the big man came up to Kenshin, picking him up by the back of his neck and slamming him against the wall.

"Next time, you will show some respect to your betters," the big man breathed calmly into his ear. He too was heavily accented.

"Let him down, Lucio," said the old man. "He is as powerless as an ant before a boot crushes him with all three of us here."

Kenshin cursed, as he was dropped. His body was number than ever. "Just who are you three?"

"We'll leave you to find out," said the woman. Unlike the other two, it seemed she had quite a normal accent. Kenshin took note. "You're a smart boy after all, Chusei Kenshin."

Kenshin strained his neck just to glare at her.

"Put him back in the room," the old man said. "And lock the door this time."

Kenshin grunted as the big man, Lucio, picked him up by the neck again, and threw him back into his room. He looked up in time to see the old man's smirk before the door was closed.

* * *

Takeshi looked from the report in his hands to the ANBU and Jonin captains before him. "How many shinobi did we send to defend the pass, Captain Kyuryu?"

The captain, a female jonin with shoulder-length dirty brown hair and with cyan marking around her eyes. "A hundred, sir: sixty chunin, thirty jonin, and ten from the Akatsuki Corps. Fifty more, all jonin, as reinforcements from Konoha."

Takeshi's already stern expression grew even more fearsome. "And how many, did the reports say, were the enemy nin from Iwa?"

"Two hundred, Amekage-sama," replied the captain, unfazed. "All chunin and jonin level. Also, we were confident that a small number such as that would be able to hold the pass effectively against whatever enemy for an extended period until such time that additional reinforcements from Konoha would be able to catch them in the rear."

"Obviously, something went wrong. And what was your battle plan?"

"The enemy had camped at the entrance of the pass. I sent in the ANBU to take out their commanders while they slept while the rest of our force came upon them in the night. It was a new moon, so we would have the advantage."

"But?"

"We succeeded in wiping out the force from Iwa. But we were ambushed by an unexpected third party."

"The foreigners," said Takeshi, eying the report briefly before returning his harsh, scrutinizing glare upon the captain. "You say they massacred your forces once you dealt with the Iwa ninja? How exactly did they go about it?"

"Our troops were exhausted, and caught by surprise. Even though the Iwa ninja were dealt with, they were much more difficult than expected. We lost thirty shinobi, three of them ANBU, just trying to wipe them out."

"What were the numbers of these foreigners?"

"None of them were shinobi. But they outnumbered us five to one, and their armor was very strong."

"Yes, I read your report," Takeshi said. "But how, exactly, can an armed force of six hundred foreigners cross all the way from the Land of Whirlpools to the Northeastern Pass undetected?"

The captain paused before answering. Takeshi could tell that she knew her competence was in question. "I do not know."

Takeshi stood, and approached. "All of you, leave us." When all the other shinobi left , Takeshi spoke again. "You've never given me any reason to doubt you before, Captain Kyuryu. But you've taken a risk in offense when you had every reason to remain on the defense. My confidence is wavering. Be grateful that I still need you." Perhaps that last part was unnecessary. Maybe the same could be said for his earlier sarcasm. But he should be giving himself a cup of sake for being able to restrain himself as well as he did.

"I _am_ grateful, Amekage-sama," said the captain.

Takeshi rolled his eyes, knowing that the gesture was not lost on the captain. "I should be grateful as well, I suppose. You managed at least to bring back a third of your original force alive." Shaking his head, he turned to gaze out the window. "Your report on the foreigners does have its merits. And their involvement is suspicious."

That was an understatement. Ever since the foreigners arrived thirty years ago and were given the former Land of Whirlpools to occupy, they had been nothing _but_ suspicious. It was mostly merchants at first, bringing in interesting and high-quality commodities. Very high-quality-commodities. The daimyo's and samurai lords loved them, buying and trading with them the instant they came. The local merchants disliked them. Shinobi despised them with every fiber of their being.

Takeshi shook his head. Maybe the Hidden Villages should have focused their war on those leeches instead.

"Captain Kyuryu," he said, "I will need you to -" A knock on the door. Not overly loud, but quick and urgent. "Come in." Who could that be at this hour?

It was his secretary, a young man in his twenties, carrying a long package that was about three feet in length, but was quite narrow, and had a slight curve. "The ambassador from the Hirudine Empire has fled, Amekage-sama. This was the only item left in the house. The ANBU detected no traps, and there was an instruction to give it to you."

Takeshi walked over, taking the package and untying the twine that bound the wrapping. When the contents were revealed, he turned instantly to the captain, an acidic anger in his eyes. "I want that ambassador found. Do not return unless you have him or he is dead. I want to know how he managed to smuggle _this_ into his embassy."

"Yes, Amekage-sama!" With a shunshin, the woman departed. He turned to his secretary, who had a look of fright in his eyes, though the rest of his body remained composed. "From now on, all deliveries made in and out of the village must be subject to the approval of the jonin council or their proxies."

The young man bowed his head, nodding, and left to get to work on filing the new law.

The Amekage stared down at the items in his hands that were now clenched into fists. There came an envelope with it. He placed the items down, and opened what was obviously a note. It was written in both hiragana and the runic alphabet of the Hirudine Empire.

_I thought that we could negotiate a settlement. I believe your country has suffered enough in all its history and I believe that you would agree wholeheartedly with that sentiment. A war with our empire will ultimately destroy you. Please consider this gift as a token of our good will. If we happen to come to an agreement, which I sincerely hope for your sake, then our Empire would be happy to offer you a second gift, one relating quite closely to that you have already received._

_It would be regretful for your village if you were to refuse. And it would be terrible for yourself, I believe._

_Julius di Vermis  
Ambassador of the Hirudine Empire_

Takeshi crushed the paper and threw it in the bin beside his desk. He would not be blackmailed. No, his humility and patience had their limits and this war had strained those limits quite thoroughly.

But he would negotiate, of course. Only to tell the Hirudines to eat the sticks jutting out of their asses. And once it was established to the Hirudines that they were and always would be an enemy, only then would Chusei Takeshi find a shrine where he could pray.


	3. Chapter II - False Offering

Chapter 2  
False Offering

Takeshi was not one to normally bring a whole platoon of fifteen Akatsuki ANBU as bodyguards to a negotiation. The only person in his delegation he considered of real importance was himself, everyone else chunin-rank, unimportant special jonin, or low-ranking civilian leaders. Everyone else of higher importance had been left in the village at Takeshi's order. Even if the Hirudines kept their word, Takeshi would have considered the extra precautions worth it.

When Takeshi saw the location for their negotiation, he made a "Tse" sound with his tongue. The Hirudines were either idiots or geniuses. A semi-elliptical cliff face was the setting for the negotiations, with a single table in the middle, six people, an equal mix of men and women, sitting with their backs to the cliff-face. There was a paltry number of guards, five for each Hirudine representative.

Their armor would be a problem, Takeshi noted. While he had never tested them in actual combat, he was not willing to tempt fate just yet.

"Be on your guard," he said to the other delegates. He could recognize the former Hirudine ambassador among the delegates, and he restrained himself from grinding his teeth in contempt.

"Amekage-sama, we're so glad you could make it," said the ambassador, a fat, balding man that smelled of too much cologne. He wore heavily embroidered robes and had a box in front of him.

Takeshi and the three other 'representatives' of his delegation took their seats. Takeshi waited, quietly monitoring his vital signs while doing the same with his companions. After a long minute of silence, in which the Hirudines were staring curiously at the Amekage, Takeshi decided that the seats were not poisoned in any way.

"You wanted to propose peace," Takeshi said suddenly, startling some of the opposite delegation. "What are your terms?"

The former ambassador spoke first. He cleared his throat, then began speaking, smiling as he did so. "Our Emperor as well as the current Governor General of Whirlpool have approved a _generous_ offer towards your village, Amekage." When Takeshi's face remained passive, if a little irritated, the ambassador continued, "Within the month, a shipment will arrive at Whirlpool. It contains enough food, farming equipment, maintenance supplies, and manpower to ensure that Rain will prosper for the next fifty years, all without lifting a finger on the part of anyone in your village."

Takeshi' face still remained passive, and he could see that the ambassador's fellows looked to be growing nervous.

The ambassador's smile fell a bit. "Your village will also be protected from foreign invasion by the Imperial Hirudine Army. Our soldiers will also take it upon themselves to police your streets to ensure peace."

Takeshi's lip twitched at that, but he said nothing.

The ambassador stopped smiling. Takeshi could almost see the man's mind working, how it came up with new ways to bring the Amekage over. "We will also grant you a seat on His Majesty's Inner Council, should you agree to this treaty. You will have the status of High Lord, and you and your heirs shall be as Kings and Queens in your country and in ours." Takeshi could see the reactions of the other Hirudine delegates, and even of their guards. They looked quite uncomfortable. Judging from their chakra fluctuations, they _were_ uncomfortable. Only his shinobi maintained their calm, as he had ordered.

He shook his head. "What does your Empire want with Ame?"

The ambassador was slowly growing a shade of green and purple. "His Majesty... simply wants peace. We have no desire to war with your country."

Takeshi smirked slightly. "And what would be required for such a peace?"

The ambassador's face scrunched up in confusion, and he withdrew to speak with the other members of his delegation in his own language. Though Takeshi could not understand them, he could safely assume that they were trying for a change in tactics. He had never met with the ambassador often, so the latter never truly understood the former, all to Takeshi's advantage.

"Amekage-sama, what are you planning?" whispered one of the chunin.

Takeshi said nothing, keeping his gaze locked on the fat head of the ambassador.

The Hirudines eventually returned to a state of normalcy, and the ambassador turned to look at Takeshi. "You and every citizen of your country will be required to swear an oath of fealty to the Emperor, to ensure your cooperation and peace between us."

"What does such an oath entail?"

Takeshi was now quite sure the Hirudines had ants biting their fat buttocks. The ambassador gave pause, as if tryng to find some way to phrase the incoming sentence in a futile attempt to convince Takeshi.

"... absolute obedience."

Takeshi only nodded, not in agreement but in acknowledgement. It was then that one of the Hirudines snapped and began shouting at the ambassador, pointing at Takeshi repeatedly.

"... Lady Camilla," the ambassador said, the green and purple on his face now the dominating colors, "... respectfully requests..." several members of his delegation snorted or tried to stifle laughs, "that you speak your thoughts... we have laid out all our terms."

Takeshi allowed a small smirk to grace his lips. "No."

Every Hirudine delegate turned to him in shock. Even some of his delegation turned to him in surprise and curiosity. Takeshi had made sure that his intent was known with just that one word. "N-no?" repeated the ambassador. "W-what could you possibly m-mean, Amekage?"

"No," Takeshi repeated.

"No... you w-won't speak your thoughts?"

Some chunin who had apparently caught on to Takeshi's message rolled their eyes. "No. We do not accept these terms."

"Bu... But why not?!" the ambassador shouted. "What we offer... it is worth more than what the other eight Kage would offer you combined!"

"I know the laws of your leech empire better than you understand the way of shinobi," Takeshi replied calmly. "Absolute obedience to your Emperor. Your Imperial Army is to occupy our village to enforce the peace. Tell me, whom do your armies ultimately answer to?"

"The... Emperor."

Takeshi nodded. "They are, I believe, nicknamed the 'Will of the Emperor'. Their motto, I hear, is 'Woe to those who defy us.' We shinobi, even former shinobi, have a reputation of failing to submit easily. You fill in the blanks."

The ambassador was gaping, and probably choking on attempts to form a coherent sentence.

"This negotiation is over." Takeshi stood, nodding to his fellow delegates who stood with him. He turned to leave, nodding to his ANBU, but a cry from the ambassador stopped him.

"Wait!" said the fat man. "We have... one more incentive for you, if you would hear it."

Takeshi turned back, face passive. The Hirudine ambassador had opened the box, and had slid it across the table to Takeshi's seat. Takeshi sat down, and removed the contents of the box.

* * *

Kenshin's hand, heavily wrapped in a torn piece of blanket, inched towards the door knob. Upon touching it, Kenshin felt electricity course down his spine, though this time, he was able to remain on his feet. _Door's not the problem,_ he concluded. As the electricity ran its course, his mind wandered to the bandage around his head.

'_If a part of the body is treated as if it were injured, yet no obvious signs of injury can be observed, assume that there is something hidden beneath,'_ he recalled his sensei lecturing.

His hand went to his forehead, and he began feeling at the wrappings, pulling at them until another jolt of electricity ran through him, bringing him to his knees. _Sealing jutsu,_ he decided, rubbing his pounding temple.

He pulled himself up, careful not to jostle his ribs, and walked back to the bed. He had limited himself to three electric shocks a day, and the one that resulted from trying to pull off the bandage had been the fourth one.

Three days had passed, assuming the clock could be trusted. He had been visited by the big man, Lucio, everyday at noontime where Kenshin would then be dragged out of the room for interrogation after the latter would try to dash past the former and towards the exit. After the sessions, Kenshin would usually be carried, also by Lucio, to an infirmary where they would, somehow, heal his injuries almost instantly. He could never tell, he usually was unconscious.

Kenshin shook his head. He would not bother trying to run today. It was a futile exercise.

He stood from the bed and got down on the floor, face-down, hands level with his shoulders. Once the pain in his side became more tolerable, he allowed his mind to work freely as he did push-ups.

His captors were definitely from the Hirudine Empire. He was able to recognize their unique crest, a golden coiling serpent, stitched on their uniforms. He had been quite surprised to find that out. Ever since then, his mind was constantly directed to gain information on them and escape had become a secondary priority.

So far, he could glean nothing from them, not even their current location. And nothing in the room could indicate to him where he was. He had not even seen the outside of the building. He should have expected those results - it was only the first few days after all - but he still felt impatient about the fact.

When he felt that he would lose all discipline and scream from the ache in his side, Kenshin stopped, rolling onto his back and panting. While he should have been conserving energy, he didn't want to end up too out of shape if ever he found an opportunity to escape. And he desperately needed something to do. The room was just so plain, and the items so ordinary.

At that point, the door opened and Lucio walked in. Kenshin rolled onto his front and pushed himself to his feet before Lucio could grab him. The young shinobi looked at the clock. It was still nine-thirty in the morning.

"You're early."

Lucio said nothing and walked calmly towards him. Kenshin stepped back, eyes narrowing. With that, Lucio leaped forward and grabbed Kenshin by the throat before slamming him against the wall. Despite the pain and the choking pressure around his neck, Kenshin could not help but admire the man's speed. It was well within shinobi standards. _He's no normal foreigner._

Kenshin ceased all struggles and let himself hang limp in Lucio's grip. The big man then dropped him and pulled him out by the arm. Kenshin deliberately did not resist and kept up easily with the larger man's stride.

Kenshin was pushed into the same cell as before, with the same large chair, the same manacles and the same table laden with numerous tools, many of which he had experienced first-hand. The only real difference was a large mirror that sat on said table. _Odd form of torture, _Kenshin thought. Did they plan on torturing him by destroying his looks? He snorted at that, earning a cuff from Lucio. He mentally braced himself for the inevitable torture session.

Kenshin was forced down on the chair and the manacles automatically bound his arms, legs, and neck. Lucio took a long leather cord from table and then used it to bind Kenshin's waist to the chair, just as he had done for the past two days.

Lucio then left the room, though Kenshin was sure he was still waiting outside. The woman and the old man from before entered barely a minute after Lucio had left him alone. This was odd; it was usually the woman, whose name was apparently Poena, by herself who interrogated Kenshin. Kenshin had assumed that the man, whose name was Dominus, was the ringleader of the trio, as he seemed to be doing little of the actual dirty work and most of the bossing.

Kenshin said nothing, though their smirks unsettled him. What were they thinking?

"Kenshin Chusei, we have something special for your session today," said Dominus. "If all goes our way, we will set you free."

_There's a catch, _Kenshin thought, though he did not voice it. The two previous sessions, he had made it a point not to let them hear anything from him, even his screams.

Poena touched the frame of the mirror and his reflection began to shimmer then went black. Dominus and Poena both frowned, but did nothing, only step back from the mirror. For several long minutes, the mirror stayed black. And then a seam of light appeared down the middle and the grey sky of Ame no Kuni was revealed.

_What -_ Kenshin's thought was cut off as the sky began to move across the polished glass and then came to a sudden stop. Then it seemed as if they were picked up as the vision shook slightly, and soon Kenshin found himself staring into the shocked face of his father.

Takeshi's lips parted slightly, and Kenshin could see him mouth his name. No sound came through the mirror, but Takeshi looked away and at some person Kenshin could not see. The Amekage's eyes were filled with a rage so hot Kenshin feared he would end up doing something stupid. And then the flames retreated, replaced with the cold gaze Kenshin was familiar with.

Kenshin was able to read Takeshi's lips when the latter spoke and he was heartened immediately by the words. "My answer remains the same, ambassador. No." Then Takeshi's expression slowly changed as a stretch of time long enough for a short reply passed. What that suggested about the ambassador's reply did not give Kenshin much hope.

_**"Cruciato."**_

In an instant, Kenshin felt like his skin had been set on fire, and he had to bite down on his tongue to keep from screaming.

He glanced to the mirror and saw the tension in his father's features, the barely masked anger in his eyes. Quietly, Kenshin shook his head, and Takeshi replied with a slow nod, and the scene was flipped and went black.

_**"Cruciato."**_

This time, Kenshin felt every muscle in his body get pinched and twisted by white-hot pincers. He shut his eyes and threw his head back, grinding his teeth against his tongue. He tasted blood.

"Two levels," he heard Dominus say. "Impressive. You shinobi really are something."

"You're sure he can take more?" asked the woman.

Kenshin felt rather than saw the smirk. **"Cruciato."**

A scream filled the compound.


End file.
